Durban Watch

Between Durban II and III

Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent

Paragraph 7 of the Durban Programme of Action requested "the Commission on Human Rights to consider establishing a working group or other mechanism of the United Nations to study the problems of racial discrimination faced by people of African descent living in the African Diaspora and make proposals for the elimination of racial discrimination against people of African descent".

Its mandate is to:

study the problems of racial discrimination faced by people of African descent living in the Diaspora and to this end gather all relevant information from Governments, non-governmental organizations and other relevant sources, including through holding public meetings with them;
propose measures to ensure full and effective access to the justice system by people of African descent;
submit recommendations on the design, implementation and enforcement of effective measures to eliminate racial profiling of people of African descent;
elaborate short, medium and long-term proposals for the elimination of racial discrimination against people of African descent, bearing in mind the need for close collaboration with international and development institutions and the specialized agencies of the United Nations system to promote the human rights of people of African descent;
make proposals on the elimination of racial discrimination against Africans and people of African descent in all parts of the world;
address all the issues concerning the well-being of Africans and people of African descent contained in the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action.

The members of the Working Group are:
- Mr. Linos-Alexander Sicilianos (Greece)
- Ms. Maya Sahli (Algeria)
- Ms. Monorama Biswas (Bangladesh)
- Ms. Mirjana Najcevska (former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia).

The Group concluded its 9th session in April 2010.

Documents from the Ninth Session of the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent (April 12-16, 2010)